Personal care products typically include an absorbent layer and a number of non-absorbent structural layers to enhance the functionality of the absorbent layer. The primary function of the absorbent layer is to absorb fluids. The absorbent layer is also required to provide functions such as, for example, intake, distribution and retention in order to effectively inhibit and/or prevent leakage of body fluids and solid exudates from the product.
In order to meet these needs, designers of personal care products have developed absorbent assemblies that typically include one or more layers of material, each designed to deliver a specific function. For example, surge layers are often included to rapidly take in fluid to prevent overwhelming the absorbent layer at the point of insult, particularly in the presence of large urine insults. Other materials such as wicking layers or barrier layers are added to assist in distributing fluid and preventing leakage. Superabsorbent materials are typically combined with other absorbent materials such as cellulosic fibers or fluff to retain absorbed fluids within the absorbent assembly. Additionally, layers of moisture-insensitive adhesives are provided to hold these layers together. These layered absorbent assemblies are generally bulky and do not conform well to the anatomy of the wearer. Furthermore, dislocation of the separate layers with respect to each other due to the wearer's movement during use can result in poor fluid management. As a result, personal care products including such layered absorbent assemblies may not perform as intended, may have poor fit and may result in discomfort during use.
Another potential shortfall of these layered absorbent assemblies is the complex and inefficient processes needed to produce them. Generally, each layer must be produced offline using a specific technology and then individually fed into the manufacturing process. The combined layers are then typically cut to the desired shape resulting in waste and cost inefficiencies.
Personal care product designers have attempted to address various aspects of these problems in a variety of ways. For example, it is known to fold an absorbent composite to provide channels or depressions to receive, distribute and retain body fluids and solid exudates. It is also known to fold an absorbent composite to provide bulk in the central or side portions of the absorbent composite to prevent deformation of the absorbent composite in use and to assist in distributing or directing fluids. Others have utilized designs that reduce waste by cutting an absorbent composite to a particular shape and folding the cut portions into the center or crotch portion of the assembly to provide additional absorbent capacity. In each case the folding of the absorbent composite results in greater bulk in the target area (e.g. the crotch or central region and/or side margins). However, for the purposes of discretion and comfort it is desirable to have as thin an absorbent composite as possible without sacrificing absorbent capacity.
Despite all of these techniques there is still a need for an absorbent core that is thin, durable, structurally stable and performs multiple functions. There is also a need for an absorbent composite wherein the layers maintain proper position with respect to adjacent layers. Additionally, there is also a need to reduce the bulk of and/or eliminate some of the non-absorbent structural layers to provide a personal care product having a desired level of fit, comfort and performance that is more efficient and less expensive to produce.